In case you are still wondering how to add some fun to your choice boards, a gif of yourself can never go wrong!
I am now creating videos, making choice boards, and asynchronous lessons while the school is slowly transitioning to in-person classes. I know! It sounds like a backwards plan, but I think it is the best the school can do right now to support students who are in the classroom and those who continue with home learning.
That said, adding GIF’s to my choice boards has been something my younger students love seeing.
Here are the steps:
Make a short video of yourself.
Upload it to the Unscreen.com website to remove the background. It will only allow 6 seconds. Download the short gif to your computer (gif = graphics interchange format).
Create a background with Canva. You can use animated images. Educators can use Canva for free!
Upload your gif to Canva and place it on the background you created.
Download it again from Canva as a gif.
Place it on your choice boards and have fun!
I am sure there are other faster ways to do this, but this works great for me. If you know of another way to do it, please share it with us all in the comments.
I recently shared onInstagram a template of a tic-tac-toe game I created to play during my virtual classes. I have gotten requests from different teachers who want this template and since I am all about saving teacher friends’ time, I decided to create more templates and share them here on my blog.
I have been seeing my students in small groups. In order to play the game virtually, I clicked on the “rename” part of Zoom and added either the letter “O” or “X” to divide them into teams. My students don’t have access to changing their names on Zoom because that’s how it was set up at the school where I teach, but if your students can do it themselves, that will save you some time. Since playing this game will require you to move the pieces, it can’t be played in presentation mode.
I used this game to ask questions about stories we have been reading in class. Once the students responded to the question, they could tell me a number for me to move the piece for them. It was simple, and the students seemed to have fun. I played this game remotely, but it can still be used in the classroom. Click HERE to download the slides to have fun in your classes! Once you click on the link, it will prompt you to make a copy of the document.
I also had fun learning the various names for this game in different Spanish speaking countries:
Every year I like to give a virtual tour of my classroom or bags if I am a traveling teacher. For obvious reasons, this year is different for all of us. Right now I teaching synchronous classes from my classroom, but once we go back to in person classes I no longer will have a classroom. Meanwhile I am enjoying teaching from room 60.
I decided to give you a tour of my space. I have been using my document camera for Story Listening and for read alouds. I also purchased a computer riser and it has been the best thing I could have done for my back.
I have been enjoying creating different welcoming messages on Google Slides, and my students seem to enjoy them. How is this school year looking for you? Are you teaching from your classroom, from home, traveling from room to room? Are you teaching synchronously or asynchronously?
Have a wonderful school year!
You might like these resources available on Teachers Pay Teachers:
Last December I had the opportunity to attend the PoCC conference, and, on my second day, I found a session that was about exploring race and identity in early childhood. This session was filled with beautiful ideas that can be adapted to Spanish class. I really loved this idea that I have been using during the first weeks of school with my second graders. Some of them get excited when the class said “Me gusta, me gusta, me gusta tu nombre”. This is a simple activity that doesn’t require a lot of preparations, and it’s great to celebrate your students’ names and identities! This activity is also a great opportunity to learn how to pronounce your students’ names correctly. Don’t be afraid of asking your students to say their names again for you.
You will need:
A jar or container
Paper
Pencils
Color pencils or markers
Activity:
Give your students a piece of paper, big enough to place in the jar or container.
Have your students write their names on the paper or write it for them if needed. They can use different colors and decorate them.
If teaching virtually, you can still ask your students to decorate their name at home and send you a picture that you can later print or place in a slide to use during class.
Modification: You can create a wheel of names using this free website.
How does it work?
Teach the structure “Me gusta.”
This can be used during circle time or as part of the routine in your class. This is not a one-time activity. You can take as long as you and your students need and spiral back anytime during the school year.
Place all the names in the container or jar.
The teacher or a volunteer in class takes one name at a time and asks “¿Quién es (complete with the name)?
Your students can raise their hands and/or respond by saying “yo” if they are ready for output.
Then the class responds “Me gusta, me gusta, me gusta tu nombre.”
If teaching remotely, use the wheel name website to create a roulette wheel with names and then ask your students to show their names when you call them.
Having a variety of songs and videos to spice up your calendar routine is always a great idea, especially if you have it as a routine you do at the beginning of each class. A reader on my Facebook page asked me if I knew some songs for the days of the week and months, and I thought it would make it a great post to save time for some of you! Here are some songs that I find simple and catchy. Please feel free to share more links in the comments because I am sure I have missed some great songs too!
